Re: General Food Talk

Originally Posted by prhoshay

I learned about zeppoles from watching The Sopranos. Never had one; they, in my mind, seemed like the elephant ears that you see at festivals. I see donuts, and the like, as dessert items.,,,not as a true meal. Maybe I'd like syrup better if I had the REAL syrup, and not the less expensive, everyday knockoff. Sometimes, a difference like that can change your life!!!

Why do I think that little recipe was for me??? Does it have to be white bread? I also don't get this country's obsession with white bread.

I think you can use any bread you might want. I guess you also could use different additions to the milk and egg.

Think cinnamon raisin bread, challah, oat bran ... etc. You could also put things between 2 slices of bread (think Monte Christo Sandwich) and make it savory ... and then serve with syrup, preserves, etc. if you choose.

Re: General Food Talk

Yep, French toast was one of the first things we learned how to prepare in 7th grade home economics class. Do girls/guys (in those days it was just girls who took Home Ec) still have to take Home Ec in middle or junior high school? Not that it was such a tough thing to cook. I was surprised, though, that our teacher put butter and syrup on it, because in our home we only would sprinkle with sugar after cooking. Hubby's family use butter and sugar to top and that is how I make it.

It was also in home ec class where I embarrassed myself in an effort to look like a smarty pants. My teacher held up a "colander" and asked if anyone knew what it was called. Of course I knew what it was as we used it every week to strain the spaghetti or boiled potatoes or what not. So, I raised my hand and blurted out "scuolapasta." I'm not even sure that is spelled right but it means "pasta strainer" in Italian. That's what we called it. No mind you, my parents were born here and so were their parents, so I am 3rd generation American. We did NOT speak Italian at home...just certain words and phrases. But, I had to go to home ec class to learn the correct word as a "colander." I was mortified.

Re: General Food Talk

That colander story is hilarious! I'd be working on learning YOUR TERM.....AND I'D USE IT!!! It was a word that was passed down, and that gives it value, in my opinion.

I never took "home ec", but I did take a clothing class where you learned how to sew, and that was extremely useful. I WISH I had learned cooking stuff. I got pretty good at sewing things; cooking things....less so.

Re: General Food Talk

Oh my gosh, shay, I envy your sewing skills. I am useless, just useless at sewing. I can sew a loose button or sew a rip on a seam, but that is that. We had cooking and sewing in our home ec class and I have been cooking since I was a pre-teen, so that was no biggie. My mom could not sew, either. There was an older woman who lived around the corner and was crippled from polio. She used to sew for her livelihood. We'd show up at her door, get dressed behind her big screen and she would pin and hem for the alterations. She was the best.

For my home ec sewing project I chose a simple A-line skirt with a zipper in the back. I labored for weeks on this stupid skirt and still got a "D." That stung! A straight A student getting a D! Well, I never had to take sewing again. My husband can sew simple things on the machine, like hemming pants and such. My b.i.l. went to school to learn marine upholstery, and that is his side business. He learned to sew to make clothes for his G.I. Joe dolls.

Re: General Food Talk

My mom was a home ec major in college and made all our meals from scratch including dessert, yeast rolls and biscuits on a regular basis, hot breakfast/cereal on alternating days, homemade donuts at Halloween. She never taught any of us to cook, but taught all 3 girls to sew. I don't do much anymore, but I worked as a seamstress at one point in a custom sewing shop.

Re: General Food Talk

My mom sewed all of our lives and made most of our clothes for years. We still talk about the dresses mama made. I learned how to sew and can do it pretty good. Don't make much anymore but I used to make all of my daughters frilly dresses. I do more sewing for quilting than anything. Straight seams aren't as hard to mess up....lol

Re: General Food Talk

Originally Posted by nennie

My mom sewed all of our lives and made most of our clothes for years. We still talk about the dresses mama made. I learned how to sew and can do it pretty good. Don't make much anymore but I used to make all of my daughters frilly dresses. I do more sewing for quilting than anything. Straight seams aren't as hard to mess up....lol

I love quits, my MIL is still very good quilter. I prefer to knit, I knitted all my babies clothes

Re: General Food Talk

Back to food....I married a man that came from a large, poor family who learned to cook, as a matter of survival. 4-5 HUNGRY, bottomless pit boys/2 girls. Their mother was an excellent, too, but had to work to support her family after she and the father split up. He had to cook what HE wanted to get what HE wanted. He went onto become a firefighter, and ALL of those guys had to learn to cook or take verbal abuse from the other firefighters; breakfasts were NEVER to be cereal and milk, or there would be hell to pay! This man became a stellar cook. Our son seems to have chosen to follow in my footsteps and be very limited in the kitchen. I'm hoping he improves, because I know he's got it in him. He complains that the little town he has chosen to live in has NO authentic chili; I keep telling him that he has to work on developing his OWN recipe, that it's not that difficult. Now, when I can say that....you'd better believe it's true!

Re: General Food Talk

It's official. Our family is going to have a Thanksgiving Breakfast celebration. It'll be the first. Usually, we eat around 1:00 for lunch, so most can go to other family members to have their evening meal. This way, it won't bunch up the time and make everyone so stuffed by the end of the day.I posted earlier about it.

One young man has already volunteered to bring his Belgium Waffle maker and make waffles! So, that's now on the menu. I've never had them, so that will be a treat.

I'm considering the following:

Several breakfast casseroles. At least one that is plain or just with cheese, one with sausage, and maybe another one? Any suggestions. I'm partial to broccoli and artichoke.

Ham and biscuits. (I'm still thinking of some yeast rolls too.)

Grits. (Homemade, slow cooked. We are in the south, so that's a must.)

Fresh fruit salad if we can find the fruits.

Cinnamin rolls. My sister-in-law does a good job and will make those.

I think I saw some pancake sticks stuffed with bacon upthread. I'm condering, but with the waffles, pancakes may be too much.

I would like to throw in some more veggie type foods. Any suggestions?